In addition to brewing its own beer, 3 Stars’ facility will include a home brewing supply shop. According to dcbeer.com, "the shop has all the ingredients, supplies, and specialty items to make any brew day great." Very happy to welcome them here!

Edit: Dave Coleman of 3 Stars clarifies: "We are having the Grand Opening of our Homebrew Shop tomorrow. The brewing operations for 3 Stars should commence within a week or so, so that launch (the brewery, not the homebrew shop) will actually be in the beginning of July. Tomorrow we are opening our homebrew retail space at 3 o'clock. This will be DC's first homebrew shop and will provide local homebrew enthusiasts a shop that is metro accessible instead of requiring a 30 minute drive to one of the shops in MD or VA."

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Good news for businesses in our area that have been hit hard by the closure of Walter Reed: the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development and the D.C. Chamber of Commerce Foundation have announced the launch of a new business assistance program for Upper Georgia Avenue, from Fern Street to Eastern Avenue NW.

According to a press release, the program will help area businesses "identify challenges to retaining and expanding their businesses; offer consultations with subject matter experts to help business owners improve their operations, expand their markets, and reposition their goods and services to remain competitive; improve storefront appearances to strengthen their brand; market businesses to increase sales; and promote the commercial district to target markets."

Upper Georgia Avenue businesses interested in participating in the program should contact Margaret Singleton at the D.C. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Background:
On January 17, 2012, the Office of Planning hosted a Community Workshop to present the Small Area Plan (SAP) components for the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center site (Walter Reed), including urban design principles to guide future development, as well as obtain additional community input on the Base Reuse Plan. On January 25, 2012, the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) Committee made final recommendations to the Mayor and Council on the Homeless Assistance Submission and Base Reuse Plan by motion. The approved land use program was then presented by the LRA at a Town Hall meeting on February 2nd. The Base Reuse Plan has been submitted to the Council, and a Council Public Hearing is anticipated in late May.

The Small Area Plan process is ongoing, as the SAP is required to determine Comprehensive Plan Land Use Designations for the site so that zoning can be established for future development. While the SAP will not propose any zone categories, it will focus on characteristics that a zone should have, such as building form, setbacks, height and stories, and Floor Area Ratio (FAR).

Please attend the May 17th Community Meeting to:
* Review and provide input on the proposed urban design guidelines for each Sub-Area of the site, and
* Review proposed Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map Designations for the site

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

A D.C. resident says he stole back his bicycle after it was taken from his friend's porch Sunday night and then posted for sale on Craigslist the following morning. And the vendor who attempted to sell that bike is also listing several other cycles for amounts well below their suggested retail prices.

Danny Lesh said that he loaned his Cannondale hybrid to a friend who lives in the Brightwood neighborhood. The friend attempted to secure it to her porch using a cable lock, but on Monday morning woke up to find that the bike had been boosted. She filed a police report and notified Lesh of the theft.

"It was the first bike I ever bought," says Lesh, who purchased the bike in Chicago in 1998. About midday yesterday, while at his job at a labor organization, Lesh was notified that a bike matching the Cannondale's description was being offered on Craigslist for $100. He took a glance at the want-ad and immediately recognized his old ride.

"I looked at the pictures, there were stickers that I put on the bike," he says.

Lesh called the number on the want-ad and arranged to meet the vendor, who is also located in Brightwood. On the cab ride over from Dupont Circle, he also gave the Metropolitan Police Department's Fourth District a ring, asking if they could spare a plainclothes vice officer to observe and potentially make an arrest. After several phone calls, Lesh says he was told no officer was available.

Disturbing that he was told no Fourth District officers were available to help him.

Last year, the annual Caribbean Carnival was forced by financial problems to truncate its parade route. The shortened route bypassed Brightwood completely, moving its start point over a mile south, from the intersection of Georgia and Missouri Avenues to the 4400 block of Georgia Avenue, near the intersection of Webster Street.

The 2012 festival came very, very close to being cancelled altogether due to ongoing debt issues. The festival organizers have since found a solution, but unfortunately it involves taking the festival out of the District altogether. According to a press release that was posted on the festival's Facebook page, the program has been "modified" this year: a Pan Jam will be held on the weekend of June 23-24 at the Crossroads Entertainment Complex in Bladensburg, Maryland, and on July 14, the DC Carnival will be held in Baltimore, having been invited by the organizers of that city's annual Caribbean festival.

Horace and Dickies is the latest addition to the growing number of independent restaurants on Old Takoma’s Main Street. Using the formula that has been successful at the original Horace and Dickies, an institution on the H St Corridor in Washington, DC for over 20 years, the new location will open this week at 6912 4th Street, NW in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, DC.

Owner Simone Shannon, with the blessing from her Dad, Richard “Dickie” Shannon, will be expanding the family business and bringing the same favorite menu to Old Takoma which includes fried fish, shrimp, crab cakes and chicken plus soul satisfying sides like collard greens, macaroni and cheese, french fries, potato salad and slaw. Homemade cakes and pies round out the menu as well as a new addition to the Takoma menu - fish tacos.

Known for their reasonable prices, large portions and quality food, Horace and Dickies has attracted not only the Washington, DC community, but also Adam Richman and Man v Food on The Travel Channel which also helped to develop a steady flow of visiting tourists.

About Horace and Dickies: Horace and Dickies is a family business which has been bringing fresh made food to the Washington area for over 20 years. The original location is at 809 12th St. NE (at H St.) Washington, DC with hours: Mon-Sat 10am-2am and Sun 11am-7pm. The new location is located at 6912 4th St, NW, Washington, DC with hours: Mon-Fri 10am-9pm and Sun 11am-7pm.
http://www.horaceanddickies.com. For the latest news, follow Horace and Dickies on Facebook and Twitter.

I've reached out to ask if they have a specific opening day nailed down, and will update this post when I obtain that information.

Update: Opening day will be either Thursday or Friday, according to Laura Barclay of the Old Takoma Business Association.